Rice-polishing machine.



No. 775,098 PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

' R. W. WELSH.

RICE POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED D130. 26. 1908.

N0 MODEL.

2447/7 e 5 es. i In wen for UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROSIA W. W'ELCH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO IVARREN H. SADLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RICE-POLISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,098, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed December 26,1903. Serial No. 186,523. (No model.)

To all whom it 77I/(L7J concern:

Be it known that I, ROSIA IV. \VELGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rice- Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine for polishing rice after it has been hulled and decorticated.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for polishing rice after it has been decorticated and which will subject the rice first to the action of line spring wire teeth and then to the rubbing action of a cushioned or elastic surface buffing-wheel.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation of the machine, in which various parts are shown in section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the machine, taken on the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the bufling-wheel shown with one side broken away. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the buffing-wheel.

A suitable frame A has a step-bearing Z at its base, and a cross-bar c at its top has a shaft-bearing c. A vertical shaft (Z is stepped in said base-bearing and held in said upper bearing 0 and is provided with a pulley d. which will be driven by a belt. (Not shown.) A number of cylinders 0, one above the other, are rigidly secured to said shaft (Z. Each succeeding cylinder, progressing downwardly, is larger than the cylinder next immediately above, whereby the several cylinders form a vertical stepped cone B, whose smaller end is uppermost, and the upper surface of each cylinder (except the top one) adjoining the rim which projects serves as a circumferential step or bottom for the vertical space around the cylinder. In the present instance three vertical-face cylinders are shown, though in practice this number may be increased or reduced. The vertical circumferential face of each cylinder is provided with uniformlyspaced fine spring-wire teeth f, all of which are inclined rearwardly-that is, backward of the direction in which the cylinder is to rotate. A ring or shell g, of suitable material, surrounds each cylinder, and thereby forms an annular vertical space lb around each cylinder, and the step or projecting rim of the larger cylinder next below serves as a sort of bottom to said vertical space 7L next above. The spring-teeth f project from the face of each cylinder into the said annular spaces and produce a gentle abrasive effect on the downward-passing rice-grains. The several rings or shells g are all secured to and retained in place by vertical strips 2'. This construction has a plural number of vertical annular spaces It, each succeeding one of which in the downward direction has a larger diameter than the space last above. The result is that a givensize stream of rice-grains progressing down through the machine will be distributed in the successively-larger annular spaces more and more thinly. Thus as the polishing operation proceeds there can be no accumulation or gorging of the rice-grains in the lower spaces, and consequently the grains will not be broken or crushed, as in other machines.

Below the vertical-face cylinders a is abevelfaced wheel J, having a solid top, the rim of which adjoining the bevel-face projects beyond the periphery of the cylinder above it, and this projecting top surface serves as a circumferential step or bottom for the vertical space it around that cylinder. The bevel-face has a cushioned or elastic surface 1, and this wheel constitutes a buffer which rotates with said shaft, but is not rigidly secured to it, being free thereon to have an up or down adjustment and is loosely connected with the lowermost cylinder 0. A shell or ring J in the form of a cone surrounds the buflingwheel J, and the upper edge of this ring takes under the lowermost ring g. Thus the vertical space ll around the cylinders a continues into the flaring or expanding space lb around the bevel faced bufling wheel. This bufiingwheel has on its upper side a square or angular socket k, and the lowermost cylinder 0 has on its lower side and projecting downward a corresponding square or angular hub Z, which serves as a tenon and snugly fits into the said socket, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) and the two are thus loosely connected. The bufling-wheel also has a sleeve or tube m secured at its center and projecting downward. This sleeve snugly but loosely surrounds the upright shaft (Z, and a circumferentially-grooved collar n is fixed on the lower end of the sleeve. The forked end of the lever p has its two prongs engaging the said groove of this collar, while the other end of the lever carriesa swivel -nut q, and a hand-screw r, turning freely in a fixed holder T, has its threaded end engaged in said nut. By this means when the hand-screw ris turned one way or the other the outer end of the forked lever 19 will be either raised or lowered, resulting in correspondingly lowering or raising the bevel-faced buffing-wheel J, and therebyincreasing or reducing the expanding space it around the beveled face of said wheel. It will be understood the buffing or final polishing operation on the rice is done in the expanding space h, where the two bevel-faces of the wheel and ring are cushioned by elastic material t t. The handscrew 7* regulates the size of this space it without disturbing the cylinders e or the spaces it around them.

The belt that drives the pulley (Z will turn all the cylinders e, and through the medium of the connecting-hub Z and socket 75 will also turn the bufling-wheel J.

A-hopper s to receive the rice and direct it into the machine is mounted on top, and a suitable pan or collecting-funnel u is attached to the bottom. A discharge-spout 41 leads from the bottom funnel to carry away the polished rice.

From this description and the drawings it will be seen that the rice is first treated by the action of the fine spring-teeth on the cylinders of successively-larger size, and then the rice is further treated to a buffing action by the cushioned bevel-face wheel J, which results in giving it a high polish. This bevel butting-wheel beingcapable of adjustment on the same shaft that carries all the verticalface cylinders enables the size of the expanding space to be varied, whereby more or less pressure may be applied to the rice in the expanding space it, where the rice is buffed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rice-polishing machine the combination of a vertical revoluble shaft; a plural number of vertical-faced cylinders one upon the other secured to said shaft and the diameter of each cylinder being greater than that of the cylinder next above it, whereby each cylinder below the top one forms a circumferential step; spring-wire teeth on the circumference of each of said cylinders all said teeth inclining rearwardly; a stationary ring or shell surrounding each cylinder and forming a plural number of annular spaces each succeeding one having a larger diameter than the one next above; a bevel-faced wheel on the said shaft under the lowermost cylinder and having a solid top the surface of which projects laterally beyond the periphery of said cylinder and serves as a circumferential step or'bottom for its annular space, and the bevel face of said wheel provided with a smooth elastic bufling-surface, and a stationary shell or ring in the form of a section of a cone surrounding the bevel-face of the wheel.

2. In a rice-polishing machine the combination of a vertical rotary shaft; a plural number of cylinders rigidly secured on said shaft and provided on their circumferential faces with polishing material and the lower side of the lowermost cylinder provided with a downprojecting tenon; a stationary ring shell surrounding each cylinder and forming a plural number of vertical annular spaces; a bevelface buffing-wheel beneath the tenon-carrying cylinder and having a greater diameter than said cylinder and also having a socket in its top surface which receives the tenon on the cylinder above; a cone shell or ring surrounding but spaced from said bufling-wheel, and means for vertically adjusting said buffing-wheel as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROSIA W. VVELGH.

I/Vitnesses:

WM. D. POULTNEY, OHAs. B. MANN. 

